Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Lately, I've been reading and studying 1 Peter, reflecting over the sermon series we had a year or so ago. The Timberline series notes are still posted on the website, so I've been reading through them as I go. It's good stuff... my margins are now full of scribbled notes, with underlined verses and circled words all throughout.

But this verse in particular keeps standing out to me. Love covers over a multitude of sins. Sometimes, it's just not practical or wise or prudent to confront someone... sometimes, we just have to let love do the work. The sermon notes say, "It means we consciously choose to let it go... Many times love can just cover over the offense." It doesn't matter how far in the past or into the future... Love covers over a multitude of sins.

After all, isn't that how the ultimate act of love and sacrifice came about? Jesus' love covering a multitude of sins. We are called to live like Christ, and it doesn't get much simpler than that. 

Love covers a multitude of sins.

5 New Year's Resolutions You Should Definitely Keep This Year

I don't usually make many (if any) New Year's resolutions. 

I think I've come to realize that in many ways, they are a waste of time. Historically, I haven't fully followed through--usually I get halfway and then got distracted. Why make a resolution if I'm not going to keep it? I also have come to the conclusion that I often make resolutions throughout the rest of the year. Whenever there's something I feel the need to work on, I do it then and there instead of waiting for the new year.

But I do recognize the value in setting aside specific time to make changes in your life and change the things about yourself that you don't like. And if the turn into a new year is what gives you the motivation to finally get it done, then that's great! Even if you aren't making any official New Year's resolutions, here are five things we could all do a little more in our lives.

Laugh more. It's scientifically proven to improve your life and make you live longer. They even say that faking your laughter eventually leads to real laughter. If you don't think you have a reason to laugh, force yourself to laugh at lame jokes or dumb cartoons, and you just might find yourself feeling happier and laughing for real.

Help others. It just takes so little effort, and it leaves you feeling better about yourself and the world and life. Of course there will be times when helping someone isn't within your financial or physical or emotional grasp. But often it is, and we should jump on those chances. Helping someone carry their groceries, make someone a casserole, assist in setting up for an event... the possibilities are endless.

Learn something new. This one is so EASY you might have already done it. Here's the secret: learning something new doesn't have to be a huge undertaking or a big consumer of your time! It can literally be ANYTHING. It can be as simple as looking up facts about your favorite historical vacation site or learning how your french press actually works. You might learn something about a coworker or friend that you never knew before. If you're feeling ambitious, you could learn a new skill at work or figure out a new hobby. Learning enriches your life, and it makes you feel good about yourself!

Make something. Again, so easy you probably have already accomplished it. But there's a huge sense of satisfaction in making something for yourself. Making yourself dinner once in a while instead of always going out to eat totally counts! If you're up for it, dive into the DIY world and pick a project that you can use in your house. There are endless ideas out there, and chances are good that if you can imagine it, someone has already tried it and written a tutorial for it. If not, experiment for yourself and then write your own!

Invest. Especially in things that make you happy. Take the time to truly invest in the things that are worth it. Spend a few extra moments with the kids in your life or work a little harder to complete your projects. Don't forget about the little things. Don't let your life pass by without putting in the time and reaping the benefits. Invest.


My one, actual resolution this year is to blog more. So hopefully we will all enjoy the fruits of my labor. :)

The Many Faces of Christy Lyn

Many times I return to my phone to find these stunning selfies, taken by my 

one and only baby sister. I don't really care, but my only rule is that 

anything she takes could potentially end up on the internet. 

She's sixteen. She SO doesn't even care.

"Something Interesting on the Ceiling"

"Ugliest Face Contest"

"Selfie for Jeremy"

"Surprised by You"

"My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad"

"We Try So Hard"

"A Selfie with Extra Cheese, Please"

"Surprised by You, 2"

"It Wasn't Me!"

"That's Actually a Window Behind Me"

"Do You Smell Something Gross?"

"You Know You Love Us"

Top 5 country songs for Monday morning

One of the side effects of working at a corn maze is that you are surrounded by country music all the time. I've worked there every summer since I was 14, so each year I would go through these phases. First, abject horror of having to listen to it ALL DAY LONG (an awful thought for a high school kid who liked musical theatre). Second, reluctant enjoyment as I began to recognize and sing along with the more catchy tunes. Third came a casual acceptance, when I realized I actually kind of liked listening to country music, and that it's much more enjoyable than a lot of the crap you hear on the radio today. Finally came the point where I embraced it and realized I could officially consider myself a country music fan. Then, at the end of the season, I'd go back to school for the year, and stop listening to the country radio stations. So when it came to working again in the spring, the cycle would start all over again.

Since I'm now entering my second year of working beyond the end of the season and straight through the winter, I never had the chance to revert back to any other music. As such, country music is now my music of choice andddd I'm thinking it's probably here to stay. At least for the foreseeable future.

My ride to work is just about enough time for five songs, so we're going with my top five country songs for Monday morning. This week, at least. Who knows what my top favorites will be by next week.

5. "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line
Thanks to Regan, this is now one of my favorite country songs. Left over from last year, it's pretty much a summer staple. Best to listen to it with the windows down and the radio turned waaaay up.
But not the remix.

4.  "Rewind" by Rascal Flatts
I am an extremely nostalgic person who's always wishing I could relive the best moments of my life. I've had a lot of good times with great friends, and I know, I know, this song is clearly in a romantic setting. But whatever. It's a nice reminder of that. [The music video, though... is the cassette tape supposed to be some sort of Muggle Time Turner?? I've gotta get my hands on one of those...]

3. "Give Me Back My Hometown" by Eric Church
Can't say I've ever felt this way, exactly, but somehow this song still gets me.
[Again with the music video.... what.]

2. "Could It Be" Charlie Worsham
I've loved this song from the minute I heard it. Then I saw him at the Grand Ole Opry and I loved it and him even more. So yup.

1. "Play It Again" by Luke Bryan
Here's the thing. I am now basically living out this song, in real life. I find myself flipping through the stations, trying to find it, and then singing out loud at the top of my lungs as soon as I find it. So the whole song is my life. Minus the boyfriend, most of the dancing, and the truck. But other than that, it's pretty much the same.
The irony is not lost on me. Probably that was Luke Bryan's plan from the very beginning. It's a conspiracy.

5 Reasons why Titanic is an Under-Appreciated Musical

Anytime I bring up the fact that Solanco did Titanic a few years ago, I tend to get some weird looks: "Your high school did Titanic.... as a musical.....?" I am always quick to point out that it was not a musical version of the James Cameron movie. Because face it, that would be a little weird. And not at all high school appropriate. And weird.

Anyway, most people I know haven't heard of the 1997 musical by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone. It tells the well-known story of the RMS Titanic, the "unsinkable ship" that left a port in the UK and never made its destination of New York City. It's definitely an ensemble musical, and follows several different stories throughout the show. The characters span all the classes and even include the staff and crew. The show opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 23, 1997 and ran for 804 performances before closing in 1999.

But really, everyone should know and appreciate this musical.

1. Real names, real people. Unlike the movie, all of the characters in the musical are based on real characters. A handful of them had names or circumstances changed slightly for dramatic effect, but they all existed to some extent. Some of them were wealthy business men and their wives, like John Jacob Aster and his wife, Benjamin Guggenheim, John B. Thayer and family, and Isidor and Ida Straus. Others were immigrants looking for a new life in America, like Kate McGowan and Jim Farrell. But each one of them had a story, and many were tragically cut short by the sinking of the ship. Somehow, knowing that each of those people existed makes the story that much more tragic.

2. Haunting melodies. The mood shifts beautifully through the use of the music. What starts out as a grand endeavor ends in minor keys and horror. The transition from "To the Lifeboats" into "We'll Meet Tomorrow" gets me every time. Each and every father and husband, assuring his wife and kids that he will see them in the morning, if they just get on the lifeboat, he won't be far behind. The crew members who selflessly gave their lives to make sure whole families could get on the lifeboats. And Ida Straus who wouldn't abandon her husband and chose to stay behind with him. All the men and women who left loved ones back in Europe and knew they'd never see them again. Just.... the emotion. Every time. (I'm listening to the soundtrack while I'm typing and practically sobbing. As usual.)
The show also boasts "The Blame," a song between the J. Bruce Ismay (owner of the ship), Thomas Andrews (designer of the ship), and Captain E.J. Smith. I can't help but imagine what conversation might have actually taken place between them: all feeling guilty and responsible, but also wanting to put the blame somewhere else, to not take fault on themselves.

3. And we can't overlook the fact that it won 5 Tony awards, including Best Musical in 1997.

4. Plus it's got to be a designer's dream (or maybe a nightmare), because what other show requires you to sink a giant ship, right on stage? It should win everything just for that ambitious stage direction. So many possibilities with that concept. The set of the original Broadway production had three levels to help create the vastness of the ship.

5. Maury Yeston's thoughts about Titanic: "What drew me to the project was the positive aspects of what the ship represented—1) humankind's striving after great artistic works and similar technological feats, despite the possibility of tragic failure, and 2) the dreams of the passengers on board: 3rd Class, to immigrate to America for a better life; 2nd Class, to live a leisured lifestyle in imitation of the upper classes; 1st Class, to maintain their privileged positions forever. The collision with the iceberg dashed all of these dreams simultaneously, and the subsequent transformation of character of the passengers and crew had, it seemed to me, the potential for great emotional and musical expression onstage."


I have very few regrets in life, but I have always regretted not trying out for this musical when we did it my junior year. But I did get to see it, because all my friends were in it. So thanks to them, I found all these lovely pictures to remember it by (ah, the beauty of Facebook... shout-out to Lyss for posting them back in 2008). Also, shout-out to Zach and Eric for always indulging my requests for them to sing "The Proposal/The Night Was Alive" to me, because I just love the song. And them.

Anchored

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, 

a hope that enters into the inner peace behind the curtain." 

Hebrews 6:19

P.S. I am taking orders if anyone would like one of these.... $30 for an 11"x14"

Love is a Pretty Great Thing

For most of my life, Valentine's Day has just been another day in my life. And in many ways, it still is. The most exciting thing that happened this year is that my mom bought me chocolate and a mug, and fixed my coffee just the way I like it (and really, who needs more than that?!). I usually try to just ignore the commercialism that surrounds the holiday. But leave it to my baby sister to remind me in the simplest way possible that love is always worth celebrating, whether you're in a romantic relationship or not.

"I know Valentine's Day is generally just 'singles awareness day' for us (at least it has been for years) but this is still a special day. Because I love you. And let's be real... whether romantic or not, love is a pretty great thing. Happy Valentine's Day... You are dearly loved!"

Nothing fancy. No crazy deep moment. But profound nonetheless. So happy Valentine's Day y'all.... Choose love <3